Transforming lives through jazz arts education and performance.
Jazz Power Initiative (JPI), a non profit, 501 (c) (3) organization, serves over 3100 New Yorkers and visitors annually – students, teachers, artists, seniors and general audiences, ages 8-80+, to promote youth development, and build more creative and inclusive communities through jazz music, theater and dance education and performance. Led by highly experienced teaching artists who are award-winn
ing jazz, theater and dance professionals, JPI offers multidisciplinary training, scholarships and performance opportunities to New York City youth, ages 8-19, from every economic and social milieu through our “open-door” policy, with extended outreach to students in under-served New York City public schools in Northern Manhattan. We currently engage over 500 students and their teachers annually, providing after-school instruction mainly in Harlem, Washington Heights and Inwood (where our offices are located) and the Bronx. Our youth education and community programs include after-school jazz workshops in music, dance and theatre online and at the United Palace in Washington Heights, private voice and piano keyboard lessons online and at our home studio in Inwood; our monthly Intergenerational Jazz Power Jam online and at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem; local community senior center workshops, and our annual Jazz Power Institute for artists and educators online and at Lehman College, City University in New York in the Bronx. Our faculty is led by Managing and Artistic Director Eli Yamin, Senior Dance Teacher and Advisor Mickey Davidson, and Senior Voice Teacher Antoinette Montague. Guest artists in our youth education and community programs include vocalists Catherine Russell, Charenee Wade, and Sweet Honey in the Rock founding members Carol Maillard and Louise Robinson; saxophonists Lakecia Benjamin, Camille Thurman (sax and vocal), Chris Byars, Jon Irabagon, Claire Daly, and Sun Ra Arkestra member Knoel Scott; Duke Ellington Orchestra trumpeters James Zollar, Mark McGowan and drummer David F. Gibson; and creative artist/educators Ray Anderson, trombone Bob Stewart, tuba, Curtis Stewart, violin; Latin Jazz band leaders Steven Oquendo, trumpet, Annette Aguilar, percussion, Dancers Mickey Davidson, Shireen Dickson and Okra Dance, Ximena Salgado and Rumbamena, Max Pollak and Rumba Tap. The Jazz Power House Trio is Eli Yamin, piano, Jennifer Vincent, bass and Dwayne “Cook” Broadnax, drums. Performance venues include Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club, The National Jazz Museum in Harlem, The United Palace in Washington Heights, and New York City Parks.
We are gearing up for a groovin’ new season of Intergenerational Jazz Power Jam. Get ready for an unforgettable lineup of incredible artists... But before we dive into what’s ahead, let’s take a moment to celebrate the magic of last year’s season! Be the first to know about our upcoming dates by subscribing to our mailing list on our website ☑️➡️
Drawing from years of inspiration from the community minded maestro of jazz education, Barry Harris... Sign up now for Jazz Power Community Workshop! Our first session is TUESDAY and it’s not too late to sign up 🎶 Register now with the link in our bio! 🔗
For singers and instrumentalists 16+ sign up now for our Jazz Power Community Workshop! A jazz learning experience led by Eli “Dr. E” Yamin and inspired by Dr. Barry Harris. Participants are welcomed to attend all three hours! This workshop fosters connection and growth in a hands on, supportive environment. Sign up with the link in our bio!
🎹 Meet John Austria, our jazz piano maestro who brings the NYC groove to life! 🎷 From jamming with legends like Roy Hargrove and Wynton Marsalis to teaching the next generation of jazz stars at Upbeat NYC and Jazz Power Initiative alike, John’s passion for music is contagious. With years of experience at the New York Jazz Workshop and co-founding the Jazz and Afro-Latin Big Band, he’s here to share his magic and help your youth discover their own 🎶✨ Get ready to dive into the world of jazz with John Austria this fall in the Jazz Power Youth program! Sign up NOW with the link in our bio!
Spots are filling up fast! For singers and instrumentalists 16+ sign up now for our Jazz Power Community Workshop! A jazz learning experience led by Eli “Dr. E” Yamin and inspired by Dr. Barry Harris. Participants are welcomed to attend all three hours! This workshop fosters connection and growth in a hands-on, supportive environment. Sign up now with the link in our bio!
Rachel Therrien joins at our next IG live, tomorrow at 11 a.m 🎺
Get your weekend started with an exciting Instagram Live with Rachel Therrien. Discover how Rachel blends traditional jazz with Afro-Latin and global influences in her unique compositions, get the scoop on her latest albums, “Mi Hogar” and “Vena,” and learn when you can catch her at our next performance for Latin Jazz Power at Open Streets! You won’t want to miss it!
Rachel Therrien joins us for Latin Jazz at Open Streets on August 14th!
Rachel Therrien is a trumpet and flugelhorn player, composer and music producer working between New York City and Montreal. She is considered one of the most promising jazz musicians of her generation (Downbeat, All About Jazz, Radio-Canada). Recognized for her personal touch and her many influences of traditional jazz, afro-latin and global music, Rachel has a world class reputation, versatile and innovator. You won’t want to miss this incredible and unique set happening for FREE on 159th and Amsterdam Ave!
Audition 5th-12th Graders with your favorite song to receive instruction in voice, acting, and movement and make friends with jazz and in jazz in this award-winning, low-cost program.
Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to nurture your talents and connect with a vibrant community of young jazz enthusiasts!
For singers and instrumentalists 16+ sign up now for our Jazz Power Community Workshop! A jazz learning experience led by Eli “Dr. E” Yamin and inspired by Dr. Barry Harris. Participants are welcomed to attend ALL three hours! This workshop fosters connection and growth in a hands on, supportive environment. Sign up with the link in our bio, limited spots available!
Get ready for Noah Bless and Latin Soul Party on August 7thfor Latin Jazz Power at Open Streets!
This lineup of 7 award-winning, internationally recognized instrumentalists will groove you with funky beats and a sizzling horn section. Originating in the mid-1960s from Puerto Rican musicians in NYC, Latin Soul (or Latin Boogaloo) fuses African American R&B, Jazz, and Afro-Cuban rhythms into a joyful, intoxicating sound. It’s the bridge between the Mambo of the ‘50s and the Salsa revolution of the ‘70s, described by Bobby Sanabria as “Music with a freakin’ Nuyorican Attitude!” Trombonist Noah Bless leads Latin Soul Party with his creative energy and powerful sound. He’s played with legends like Mario Bauza, Willie Colón, Eddie Palmieri, and Marc Anthony, earning praise for his “extreme agility” and “great facility” (Allaboutjazz.com). Grammy winner Arturo O’Farrill calls Noah “New York Strong,” honoring NYC’s tradition of purposefulness. Don’t miss Noah’s album “New York Strong-Latin Jazz,” a 2021 Downbeat Editor’s Pick. You won’t want to miss this!
5th through 12 graders! Audition now with your favorite song to study with actor and musican Kena Onyejekwe, Mr. O!
Mr. O is an actor and musician whose credits includes co-writing, co-producing, and performing lead vocals for the album WE ARE by Stylophonic which was distributed by Universal Music Italy. Regionally he has performed in Marley at Center Stage in Baltimore and To Kill a Mockingbird at Virginia Public Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. His film and TV appearances include the film Begin Again on Netflix and The View on ABC. Mr. Onyejekwe is an alum of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and for the past fifteen years he has created, implemented, and facilitated several theater productions and education programs in theaters, community centers, schools, churches, and summer camps around the New York City area. Don’t miss your chance to study with Mr O!
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This weeks features workshops and Latin jazz performances co-produced and curated by Jazz Power Initiative and art workshops with Hispanic Society
Tuesday, July 30th
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Percussion workshop with Annette Aguilar
Featuring dance with Lisa Green
159th Street (Broadway and Amsterdam)
Wednesday, July 31st
12:00 - 2:00 pm
Paul Austerlitz’ The Dominican Jazz All-Star
164th Street (Amsterdam and Edgecombe)
Full schedule of events here:
Tuesday, July 30th
164th Street
10:00 am
SpeakEasy Bookmobile
Come and get your free books!
159th Street
9:00 am
Yoga with NewYork Presbyterian
10:00 am
Percussion workshop with Annette Aguilar,
Featuring dance with Lisa Green
Wednesday, July 31st
159th Street
10:00 am
Cooking Demo with NewYork Presbyterian
164th Street
12:00 pm
Paul Austerlitz’ The Dominican Jazz All-Star
Thursday, August 1st
164th Street
12:00 pm
*Art Workshop with Hispanic Society
Friday, August 2nd
159th & 164th
*Community BBQ
Paul Austerlitz, aka “Dr. Merengue,” presents the Dominican Jazz All-Stars on July 31st for Latin Jazz at Open Streets!
Dr. Merengue is a trailblazing reed player, composer, and ethnomusicologist, known for his electrifying fusion of Afro-Caribbean music and jazz. Mastering the bass and contrabass clarinets, Bb clarinet, and tenor saxophone, he blends Latin and Caribbean rhythms with free-form jazz, creating a vibrant and unique soundscape. A student of legends like Bill Dixon and Milford Graves, Austerlitz holds a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University and has authored notable works, including “Jazz Consciousness” and “Merengue: Dominican Music and Dominican Identity. As the founder of the Dominican Jazz All-Stars, Austerlitz leads a powerhouse lineup featuring Isidro Bobadilla, Alex Díaz, Juan “Cuqui” Mora, Steve Sandberg, and Calos Mena. Together, they create an explosive musical experience that transcends borders and genres. Don’t miss the chance to experience the innovative sounds of “Dr. Merengue,” Paul Austerlitz, and the Dominican Jazz All-Stars!
Lisa Green is joining Annette A Aguilar for a movement and percussion workshop on July 30th for Latin Jazz Power at Open Streets!
“I believe in curating a space that allows playfulness, safe risk-taking, and self-discovery. I enrich the mind, body, and spirit of all who enter my movement spaces, giving them a deeper awareness of their significance as human beings”
A dynamic performer and movement educator in NYC. With 20+ years in education, she integrates art and social justice into her teaching and performance. Lisa leads impactful workshops on arts literacy, social justice, and community wellness. As a seasoned dance artist, she excels in multiple styles, performing locally and internationally.
Audition NOW to make friends with jazz and in jazz! Registration are open for 5th to 12th graders to join our award winning program and receive instruction in voice, acting, and movement. Sign up using the link in our bio. 🔗 FREE!
Have you ever wanted to try your hand at Latin percussion? Our Jazz Power friend and colloborator Annette A. Aguilar is hosting percussion workshops during our Latin Jazz Power Open Streets series! Come on by between 12 p.m and 2 p.m TOMORROW and July 30th on 164th St., between Amsterdam & Edgecombe Ave. We can’t wait to groove with you!
Joel Guzman presents: A Caribbean Jam on July 17th for Latin Jazz Power at Open Streets from 12-2 p.m, 159th St. Between Broadway & Amsterdam!
Joel Guzman is a Dominican multi-percussionist known for his vibrant performances that include Latin jazz, Afro-Caribbean jazz, Brazilian rhythms, experimental jazz, and autochthonous and folkloric Dominican rhythms. With over four decades of musical work, he has performed at festivals such as the South Florida Jazz Festival and the Dominican Republic Jazz Fest, and has accompanied renowned artists such as Arturo Sandoval, Nestor Torres, Paquito D’Rivera, Eumir Deodato, Xiomara Fortuna, among others.
With “A Caribbean Jam,” Guzman leads a talented ensemble of seasoned musicians blending vibrant Caribbean rhythms with smooth, enchanting tones of jazz, looking to take listeners on a captivating sonic journey.
🎶✨ Latin Jazz Power at Open Streets! 🌟
Join us for a vibrant community gathering over four dates, featuring incredible free performances and workshops with top-tier musicians.
Get ready for electrifying performances by Joel Guzman, Paul Austerlitz, Noah Bless, and Rachel Therrien, plus immersive workshops with percussionists Annette A. Aguilar and Isidro Bobadilla, and dancers Lisa Green and Elizabeth Crooke.
📍 Locations: 159th St. (Broadway & Amsterdam Ave.) and 164th St. (Amsterdam & Edgecombe Ave.)
Thank you NYPresbyterian and Community Leagues of the Heights (CLOTH) for inviting us to what will be another memorable year at Open Streets!
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Happy Birthday to jazz legend Ivie Anderson, the voice behind the first recording of Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean A Thing!” and touring performer in the musical “Shuffle Along”!
“Ivie can sing a song so that the audience gets every word and at the same time makes cracks at Sonny Greer, tease Duke, and wink at the boys in the front row. All at the same time going in to a dance routine that would have slayed you” -California Eagle, on Anderson in Ellington’s musical “Jump For Joy”
Get to know Community League of The Heights (CLOTH), our collaborators on not one, but two summer events this year, Latin Jazz in The Heights and Latin Jazz Power! CLOTH provides adult education, affordable housing, health and wellness, small business development, and youth education programs. They partner with us to make the joy of jazz accessible to our community uptown! Be sure to catch our next collaboration starting on July 17th!
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TOMORROW! Tune in at 6:00 P.M EST for an IG Live w/ Dr. E featuring Dr. Paul Austerlitz!
Paul Austerlitz is a reed player, composer, and ethnomusicologist specializing in Afro-Caribbean music and jazz. Mastering the bass and contrabass clarinets, he also plays clarinet and saxophone. Austerlitz blends Latin and Caribbean music with free-form jazz. He studied under Bill Dixon, Milford Graves, Dave Liebman, and Frank Wess, earning a Ph.D. from Wesleyan University. He authored “Jazz Consciousness” and “Merengue: Dominican Music and Dominican Identity.” Austerlitz founded the Dominican Jazz All-Stars, presenting merengue, palos, and Afro-Dominican music fused with jazz. Dr. Paul Austerlitz is joining us at our Jazz Power Institute next week co-leading a presentation on Afro Dominican music and dance alongside percussionist Jonathan “JBlak” Troncoso, and dancer Carmen Morillo.
🚨 This is your LAST CALL to sign up for our Jazz Power Institute featuring world class instruction by award winning author James McBride, jazz vocalist Antoinette Montague, actor Kena Onyejekwe, jazz musicians Steven Oquendo, Alberto Toro, Jonathan “JBlak” Troncoso, Derick Kelly, Annette A. Aguilar, and dancer Carmen Morillo! This is a once in a lifetime event to recieve instruction from a class of incredibly talented individuals, sign up NOW while just a few spots remain at jazzpower.org/institute2024!
Jonathan “JBlak” Troncoso is joining us at our Jazz Power Institute NEXT WEEK! Sign up now at jazzpower.org/institute2024 while spots still remain!
JBlak is the lead percussionist for Yasser Tejeda y Palotré, an Afro-Dominican fusion band. His deep knowledge of Afro-Dominican rhythms such as palos, salves, kongos, sarandunga, and pri pri, as well as Afro-Cuban rumba, batá, palo, and abakuá, and Afro-Puerto Rican bomba and plena, has made him a key figure in the Afro-Caribbean music scene in New York and beyond. Mentored by elder master percussionists like Manolo Mota, Florentino Mejia, and Roman Diaz, Jonathan has been instrumental in connecting African diaspora communities through music. Jonathan appears on recordings by Elio Villafranca, Yasser Tejeda & Palotré, Hurray For The Riff Raff, and Sonido Isleño. He has performed with renowned artists such as Arturo O’Farrill, Pedrito Martinez Group, Yosvanny Terry, and more. He co-founded the pan-Caribbean ensemble Ilu Aye in 2003 and has performed at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Apollo Café. Jonathan currently resides in New York City.
Join us at the Jazz Power Institute at Lehman College July 9th and 10th featuring Alberto Toro, a versatile flutist, saxophonist, clarinetist, vocalist, composer, and arranger from San Juan, Puerto Rico. He holds a BM from Berklee and an MM from Queens College, studied under jazz legends, and toured with Pregones Theater Company. Co-director of Viento de Agua, his debut CD was praised by The New York Times. With over 20 years in music education, he’s the director at Elias Bernstein IS and Principal Conductor of the All City HS Latin Ensemble. Sign up at now for FREE at jazzpower.org/institute2024
Award-winning screenwriter, musician and author of “The Good Lord Bird,” James McBride joins us for Jazz Power Institute 2024! Secure your spot now FOR FREE! CTLE Credits available for NYC Public Schools. Sign up at jazzpower.org/institute2024! It’s all happening July 9th and 10th and Lehman College.
5030 Broadway, Suite 651
New York, NY
10034
| Monday | 10am - 2pm |
| Tuesday | 10am - 6pm |
| Wednesday | 10am - 6pm |
| Thursday | 10am - 6pm |
| Friday | 10am - 6pm |
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Jazz Power Youth improves essential skills such as listening, speaking, concentrating, and memorizing. 5th through 12th graders sign up for auditions NOW with your favorite song, register with the link in our bio!
Jazz Power Youth helps overcome fear, find strength in practicing and friendship in jazz. 5th through 12th graders sign up for auditions NOW with your favorite song! Just under two weeks remain before our first round of auditions, click the link in our bio to register! #youthartseducationnyc #educationyc #artsnyc
5th through 12th graders sign up for auditions NOW with your favorite song to make friends with jazz and in jazz! Registration is open to join our award winning program and receive instruction in voice, acting, and movement. Sign up using the link in our bio. FREE! #youthartseducation #jazzpowerinitative #youtheducation #nyceducation #jazzartseducation #jazzpowerinitiative
In July we had two days of exquisite immersion in jazz and Latin jazz arts with incredible artists and educators including James Mcbride, Jonathan “JBlak” Troncosco, Carmen Morillo, Antoinette Montague, Alberto Toro, Paul Austerlitz, Steven Oquendo, Darick Kelly, Annette A. Aguilar, Kena Onyejekwe and Eli “Dr. E” Yamin. Participants explored a wide range of topics, from Latin percussion and Afro-Dominican Palos to writing, singing, and acting techniques for creative storytelling. Participants included veteran and new teachers, recent college graduates, current college and high school students, and new and veteran teaching artists. It was a fantastic two days of connecting and learning with everyone! 📝🎶
Get to know Rachel Therrien, trumpet and flugelhorn player, composer, music producer, and upcoming performer at Latin Jazz Power at Open Streets 🎺 Make sure to catch her live on Wednesday, August 14th, 12 p.m. on 159th St. Between Broadway & Amsterdam 💥
5th through 12th graders sign up for auditions NOW with your favorite song to make friends with jazz and in jazz! Registration is open to join our award winning program and receive instruction in voice, acting, and movement. Sign up using the link in our bio. FREE! #youthartseducation #jazzpowerinitative #youtheducation #nyceducation #jazzartseducation #jazzpowerinitiative
We had an incredible time jamming with Paul Austerlitz Presents The Domincan Jazz Alll-Stars! Stay tuned for more to come with @cloth159 for our Latin Jazz Power at Open Steets series! 💃🏻 #latinjazznyc #freeconcertsnyc #freemusicnyc
5th through 12th graders! Audition now with your favorite song to study with Antoinette Montague! Senior voice teacher Ms. Montague, a/k/a “Jazz Woman to the Rescue,” is a dynamic, award winning jazz and blues singer and entertainer who blows away sell out audiences far and wide with her dynamic storytelling through song. As a culture bearer and jazz griot, Ms. Montague has mentored dozens of young jazz musicians and vocalists over the past twenty years passing on what learned from her mentors, jazz and blues icons, Carrie Smith and Etta Jones. Ms. Montague is a Level III Certified Teacher of Somatic Voicework, the LoVetri Method (™) and her latest celebrated CD is “World Peace in the Key of Jazz,” with Danny Mixon, Paul Beaudry, Winard Harper, Jay Hoggard, and King Solomon Hicks. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity, sign up with the link in our bio 🔗! #jazzartseducation #womeninjazz #nyceducation
Are you ready for your child to be ignited with the spirit of jazz? Audition now for our Jazz Power Youth Program! Sign up with the link in our bio #youthartseducation #jazzpowerinitative #youtheducation #nyceducation #jazzartseducation
We had such an incredible time last week connecting with artists and educators at our 10th annual JAZZ POWER INSTITUTE at Lehman College and learning from James McBride, Antoinette Montague, Alberto Toro, Steven Oquendo, Darick Kelly, Annette A. Aguilar, Kena Onyejekwe, Paul Austerlitz, Jblak, and Carmen Morillo! Thank you to all who participated, and to Alejandro Castro, Karl Watson and Lehman College for your collaboration! #teachingartists #nyceductors #lehmancollege #jazzpoweriniative
To the sounds of Sarandunga, an authentic folkloric and cultural expression from Baní, a city in the south of the Dominican Republic—exclusive to this part of the country—fused with “Parisian Thoroughfare,” a quintessential jazz standard composed by the renowned pianist Bud Powell in 1951, percussionist Joel Guzman and A Caribbean Jam kicked off the performances for Latin Jazz Power at Open Streets! Enjoy the vibrant colors in the music, merging electrifying sounds from different corners of the world. Make sure to join our next Latin Jazz Power concert in Washington Heights, for free! #nycfreeconcerts #latinjazzintheheights #cloth
Dr. E Live w/ Paul Austerlitz, aka Doctor Merengue
Don’t miss out on world class instruction from our Community Artist-in-Residence @soquendo_trpt at our Jazz Power Institute on July 9th and 10th at Lehman College! Reserve your spot while you still can jazzpower.org/institute2024! Oquendo is a NYC native and professional trumpeter, Latin jazz big band leader, composer, arranger, and educator. n 2009, Steven founded the Steven Oquendo Latin Jazz Orchestra (@soljo.nyc ), a 19-piece band known for its dynamic performances and creative arrangements of Afro-Cuban, Latin Jazz, salsa, and mambo classics. A Lehman College graduate, Oquendo is also the Assistant Conductor for the All City High School Latin Jazz Ensemble and Music Director at Pelham Preparatory Academy. Check out this great clip of his band SOLJO performing at our Integenerational Jazz Power Festival, you can’t miss him! #teachingartistsnyc #educatorsnyc
Highly esteemed vocalist Antoinette Montague joins us at our Jazz Power Institute NEXT WEEK on July 9th and 10th at Lehman College! Mentored by jazz legends Etta Jones and Carrie Smith, Antoinette is a vocal powerhouse, educator, and Jazz Woman to The Rescue. As our senior vocal instructor at Jazz Power Initiative, she brings unmatched expertise and energy. Don’t miss this chance to learn from a jazz shero, sign up now at jazzpower.org/institute2024 while spots remain! #JazzPowerInstitute #AntoinetteMontague #Jazzeducation #nyceducators #nycartists #nycteachingartists #womeninjazz #jazzwomantotherescue
The exceptionally talented Carmen Morillo will be joining us for our Jazz Power Institute on July 9th and 10th! Carmen is a celebrated Afro-Caribbean dancer from the Dominican Republic, known for her captivating performances and expertise in folkloric and contemporary dance. We met Carmen while working with composer, guitarist and singer Yasser Tejeda, and witnessed first hand the impact of her work. Don’t miss out on her demonstration this summer! Sign up now at jazzpower.org/institute2024
Live with Dr. E with guests Alberto Toro, Steven Oquendo and Antonio Toro
Jazz Power Celebration20 as a gathering of artists and supporters for the mission of Jazz Power Initiative has been a smash success! And today, on the last day of the generous matching contribution from the Miranda Family and an anonymous donor, we are poised to more than double the fundraising goal we set when we started planning the event last fall. If you would still like to give, your donation received today will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $35,000! Thank you and here’s to the next 20 years of Jazz Power Initiative! Visit the link in our bio to donate now 🔗 #celebration20
We hope you enjoy JPI Through the Years, a short film by Phil Bertelsen and Jazz Power Initiative. JPI Through the Years, highlights 20 years of transforming lives through jazz arts education and performance. Produced by Phil Bertelsen, who is an Emmy and Peabody award-winner as well as this year's recipient of the newly established JPI Changemaker Award, this video first screened last week at Jazz Power Celebration20 at TD Bank Conference Center. We are excited to share it now with you!
With a solid network of talented musicians, performers, and students, it was time to hit the streets. After all, jazz is all about community! We’ve made wonderful partnerships with community pillars such as The National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center, Harlem School of the Arts, Jazzmobile, the United Palace Theater, NYC Department of Transportation and NYC Parks. Our Intergenerational Jazz Power Jam and Festival provide wonderful opportunities to showcase our talented students, and local rising stars, performing alongside veteran pros. We have featured locally and internationally beloved artists such as Annette A. Aguilar, Yasser Tejeda, Shireen Dickson, Dexter Jones, Ximenda Salgado, Carmen Morillo, Dandy Rodriguez, and Steven Oquendo. We love getting together with our community to dance, jam, and enjoy each other’s company! #newyorkjams #celebration20 #jazzpowerinitative
Did you miss out Now’s The Time For Jazz Diplomacy with the Incredible Ari Roland Quartet? That’s okay, you can check out these dazzling images here! #jazzdiplomacy #jazzpowerinitiative
Through education and performance, Jazz Power Initiative transforms lives by fostering leadership, diversity, teamwork and self expression through jazz music, theatre, and dance. Currently, the Jazz Power Initiative (JPI) serves over 200 youth ages 10-20 and 50 teachers in its New York City Based programs and many more in collaborations throughout the United States and abroad. JPI also works with seniors and offers customized training for executives in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center. Other collaborators and presenters include the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, United Palace Cultural Theatre in Washington Heights, Lehman College in the Bronx, LaGuardia College in Queens and the U.S. Department of State.
Jazz Power Initiative (or JPI, formerly The Jazz Drama Program) was founded in 2003 as a 501(c)3 non-profit by jazz musician/educator Eli Yamin and teacher/writer Clifford Carlson to get youth involved in and excited about jazz. As jazz itself emerged as a way of musically expressing the Black experience in America, we believe this art form inherently offers invaluable lessons in self-expression, leadership, cooperation, out-of-the-box thinking, trust, respect and being present in the moment. We believe nurturing these values in our youth and communities through the power of jazz arts education can make the world a better place. By creating new jazz musicals, recording CD’s, distributing scores and scripts and offering professional development for teachers and executives and workshops for students, The Jazz Power Initiative is building new audiences and stakeholders in the jazz arts through the media of storytelling, music, theatre, dance and visual arts. Jazz Power Initiative is committed to promoting the humanitarian values of jazz and giving jazz artists including musicians, singers, dancers, actors and storytellers, meaningful platforms to create, share their knowledge and artistry, and pass it on. To date, JPI musicals have seen over 85 performances in fourteen states and five countries, involving thousands of young people and their families in sustained exposure and involvement in the jazz arts.
Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance
Broadway
